


Sand In Your Belfry

by quiet__tiger



Series: Batfamily Vacation [1]
Category: DC Animated Universe, DCU (Comics)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Vacation, batfamily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 07:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10611669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet__tiger/pseuds/quiet__tiger
Summary: Bruce is forced to take a vacation, and along for the ride are Alfred, Dick, and Tim.  A few related characters make cameos.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to Livejournal Dec. 8th, 2005.

“This is a _bungalow_?”  Tim stared at the enormous Wayne family beach house.  Three stories, four car garage, private beach, huge windows all around.

“That’s what my mother used to call it.”  Bruce stood facing the house, but Tim couldn’t tell if he was actually seeing it.  He really hoped it wasn’t dredging up painful memories.  Sometimes Bruce was touchy like that.

Dick whistled, clearly in the same mindset as Tim.  “This place is huge, Bruce!  Why didn’t you ever take me here when I was a kid?”

Tim got the vague notion that Bruce was going to remind Dick that he’d never seen him as a kid, but Bruce only said, “I never found the time.”

When Dick was a kid, the Batfamily had been much smaller.  Now, Oracle and Batgirl were to watch Gotham while they were away, with Diana, Clark, and J’onn keeping an eye out for super villains in the area.

The League had all but forced Bruce to take some time off.  After a nearly-unanimous vote, it was decided to send Bruce away before he hurt someone or himself.  No team functions well when its leader is a tense bundle of nerves or spends so much time by himself that search parties are almost sent out even though he’s only three rooms away.

Dick told Tim that Robin and Nightwing got to take time off, too, so that Bruce wouldn’t be isolated.  That really would have defeated the whole purpose.  Their instructions were to occupy Bruce’s time so he could actually relax and not dwell.  Tim was looking forward to getting a chance to tan.  Gotham wasn’t really a good place to sunbathe, and Tim wanted a little color.  And being forced to spend two weeks in close quarters with Dick Grayson was far from torture for Tim.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  He might even be able to make a move here; the moment was never quite right in Gotham or Bludhaven for Tim to let his feelings for Dick known.

Alfred came to join them, having finished unloading the car.  Meaning that their stuff was still in the driveway, but it was out of the car.  Bruce had told them explicitly that Alfred was on vacation, too.  Tim wondered how long that would last before Alfred couldn’t help but clean up after them and run the dish washer.

They each grabbed their bags and went inside.  Tim wasn’t really sure what to think about spending the next two weeks in the same house as Batman and Nightwing.  He’d spent plenty of time at the Manor, sure, but he could have almost had his own wing there if he wanted.  While mammoth, the bungalow wasn’t quite the same.

********************************************************

Three a.m..  Dick finally gave up on trying to sleep and decided to wander through the house.  He wasn’t used to going to bed so early after a day in which he wasn’t fighting criminals a good portion of it.

Dressed in boxers and a t-shirt, he padded silently through the house.  It hadn’t been quite what he had been expecting when Bruce told him the Wayne family owned a beach house; it was a bit nicer, less foreboding than the Manor.

He heard voices coming from the living room, and he’d be on alert and ready for action if he didn’t already expect Tim to be up.  Besides, Tim’s room had been empty when he walked by the cracked-open door.  Bruce was probably up, too, but late-night conversations with Tim were much more fun.  At times difficult, because there was always the risk of him accidentally explaining to Tim how much he... admired him, but still much more fun.

He decided to see how alert Tim was, and crept towards the living room.  Dick peeked in and didn’t see anyone, so he stepped in a little further.  Three seconds later he found himself on his back on the floor, arm twisted nearly-painfully above his head.  

Tim crouched over him, upside-down from his perspective, and gave a little Tim-grin, such as it was.  “Got you.”

“Only because I let you.”

“Whatever helps you sleep tonight.”  Tim let go of Dick’s arm, and Dick stretched it and sat up.  “You couldn’t sleep, either?”

“No.  Not the right kind of day.  It’s too quiet here, too.”  And it was.  No traffic, no people, no anticipation of being called out of bed, just the wind and the ocean lightly slapping the shore.  Even at the Manor they could hear the occasional car.

“Exactly.”  Tim, also clad in boxers and a t-shirt, returned to the large couch and nestled in between the armrest and the bag of chips he must have been eating before.

“What are you watching?”  Dick stared at the garish cartoon on the TV, in which a yellow duck with red hair and big teeth rambled incessantly.  Dick sat down in the middle of the couch, spreading his legs and arms to get comfortable.  And be in easy reach of the chips.

“Something called ‘Duckman.’  It’s on Comedy Central.”

“Okay…”  They watched in silence for a few more minutes, until Dick just had to ask. “Why does that one duck have two heads?”

“Those are Duckman’s sons.  Charles and somebody.  They just happen to share a body.”

“Uh huh.”  Dick didn’t want to get into the nearly-inevitable conversation about weird science projects.

Especially since he knew that at least one of Tim’s best friends _was_ a weird science project.

Tim tilted his head and looked up at Dick in such a way that Dick _knew_ that he knew what he was thinking.  But he didn’t say anything, either.  Dick didn’t want to get on Tim’s bad side; he liked him too much.

Dick stood and stretched.  “You want marshmallows?  We can’t really roast them, I guess, without building a fire, but they’re still good.”

Tim snorted.  “Marshmallows?  Really?  Bruce is usually so anti-junk food, I’m surprised he’s letting us eat this way at all.  I practically had to smuggle in the chips.”

Dick shrugged.  “Even Bruce snacks every now and then.  Besides, even if he didn’t, Alfred loves us, and would want us to be happy.”

“And happiness includes marshmallows?”

“For Nightwing, it does.  Besides, roasting marshmallows around a fire on the beach is probably good family bonding time.”

“We’re a pretty screwed up family, Dick.”  But Tim got up and followed Dick to the kitchen.  “We’d make a good sitcom.”

“Or a made-for-TV special…”  Dick rummaged through cabinets, finally finding marshmallows behind oatmeal.  Grinning, he pulled them out and waved them at Tim.  “Don’t ever doubt me, little brother.”

“I never do.”  It was when Tim said things like that, so solemnly, that Dick got a little weirded out.  He loved Tim, but the teen was just so serious and dark most of the time.  The vacation would be good for him, too.  He pulled out a handful of marshmallows and tossed the bag to Tim.

They ate marshmallows and returned to the TV, Dick wishing that Bruce had even a gas stove in this place, so they could roast them.  But there was only the fireplace, and Dick figured that it was a little late, and a little warm, to start a fire.  But it was still fun.

***********************************************************************

“Holy shit, this is sweet.”  Dick made his statement as he settled back in a lounge chair he had dragged off the deck and onto the beach.  Bruce smiled, pleased that Dick seemed to be happy.  All it took was taking him away from Gotham and the ‘haven and telling him he could do whatever he wanted for two weeks.

Bruce pulled his own chair down onto the sand, watching the ocean as he moved.  Dick was right, it was pretty nice.  Clean sand, a row of seaweed indicating the tide line, the water blue and the sun bright.  Bruce liked the darkness of night, but he knew that a little sun every now and then was a good thing.  He pulled out a book and started to read.

“Bruce, don’t read.  You read all the time.  Just sit and enjoy the view.”

Bruce looked up at Dick, who was watching him over the rims of his sunglasses.  “But I like to read.”

“But you can read any time.  You can’t see the ocean from the Manor.”

“You can from the bay.”

Dick just sighed, and Bruce let him.  But he also put down the book.  Well, it was actually a journal of the latest articles on string theory.  Reading that was more relaxing than reading newspapers.

“Where’s Tim?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe he’s sleeping in late.”

Bruce glanced around as if expecting Tim to magically appear.  Which wasn’t entirely impossible, just unlikely.  When Dick started to laugh, Bruce followed his line of sight, and caught Tim walking down the stairs from the deck.

Clad in Superman swim trunks.  Carrying a huge red towel that could easily have doubled as a cape.

“Tim?  Have you gone to the other side?”  Bruce was more amused than upset.  Batman didn’t license swim trunks, anyway.  If Tim were wearing a t-shirt, though…

“Dick got them for me.”

Bruce whipped his head around and gave Dick what he hoped was a good mock-Batglare.  “Dick, is this true?”

Dick didn’t look particularly chastised.  In fact, he started to laugh again.  “Yep.  I thought he’d look good in them.  The towel was his idea, though.”

“Dick!”  Tim crossed his arms over his chest.  “I happen to like red.  The towel was there.  End of story.”

“Uh huh.”  Bruce knew how much Dick enjoyed teasing Tim.  It was just about the only time Tim ever smiled outside of his friends in the Titans.

Tim mumbled something that Bruce interpreted to mean “Dick, shut up before I have to kill you and Bruce gets pissed at me.”  Instead, Tim spread his towel out on the sand and laid down on it on his stomach.  Bruce stared.  Tim was the only one of the three of them who could take his shirt off and not have to answer strangers’ questions about scars.  Tim only had a few, and they could be explained away easily enough.

Bruce knew that he could never go without a shirt without getting gawked at.  After working by his side for more than a decade, Dick wasn’t much better.  But Tim’s suit had better armor, and Tim was more careful.  He also had a team looking out for him a lot of the time now, while in Dick’s early years, it had only been him and Bruce.

Bruce currently wore black swim trunks, and a white tank top that he knew Dick referred to as a “wifebeater.”  Personally, Bruce didn’t care for the name, but only a few scars showed when he wore it.  Perhaps the next vacation should be to a ski resort, where full clothing was mandatory, not optional.

Bruce picked up his physics journal again, but he didn’t read.  Instead, he watched seagulls fly over the water, and boats traveling within it.  From what he could tell, someone had just caught a fish.  The sun was warm, even though it was early.  Every now and then someone would walk by as they hiked along the shore, waving as they passed.  Bruce always waved back.  

Basically, it was calm.  And it was driving Bruce crazy.

He was brought back to his boys by a squeak from Tim.  Dick had started to slather sunscreen on Tim’s back, as Tim protested and wiggled away from Dick’s hands.

“Dick, what are you doing?!”  Tim had flipped over to his back and had Dick by the wrists.

“You’re pale.  You’ll burn.  You don’t want to be pink.  It’ll clash with your costume.”

Tim glared.  “It’ll clash with yours, too.  You put some on.”

“First of all, no it won’t.  Black, blue and pink would look fine together.  Secondly, I don’t burn.”

“Whatever.”

“Humor me, little brother.”

Bruce smiled minutely at the endearment.  Dick had been orphaned, lost his entire family.  But now he had Bruce, and a “little brother.”  And sisters, so to speak, but Dick didn’t seem as close with Cass, and Barbara had been more than a sister… Dick and Tim had a special relationship, one no one else could fully understand.

“Fine, _Dick_.”

Bruce wanted to take credit for Dick surviving puberty with a name like “Dick,” but the credit was all Dick’s.  Alfred probably had a hand, too.

Bruce watched as Tim somewhat reluctantly submitted to Dick’s greasy caresses.  Dick’s large hands covered practically all of Tim’s back with two sweeps.  Tim had a lot going for him, but height and girth were not part of that.  Tim sat up, and Dick handed him the sunscreen.  Tim finished the job on his chest and legs, sneaking in glares at Dick every few seconds.  Dick was either ignoring him and watching the water, or pretending to ignore him by pretending to watch the water.

Whatever.  All Bruce could ask for was that his boys didn’t kill each other over the next two weeks.  The League would be pretty upset.

******************************************************************************

“Wow, Sandi, look at that house…”  Lauren tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she spoke, the other hand pointing at the huge beach house they were passing.  She and Sandi took a walk down the beach at least once a week, checking out the rich peoples’ houses and seeing who and what they could see.  No one seemed to mind as long as they didn’t linger too long at any point.

Sandi looked over at the house.  “Wow.  We’ve walked by it before, but it actually looks lived in now.  Not quite so creepy, with lights on.”

“And cute guys outside.”

“Who are they?”

“Must be the Waynes.  This is the Wayne house, right?”

“Yeah… but I didn’t know there _were_ any Waynes still.  No one has used the house in years.”

“Well, I don’t care if they’re squatters.  They’re hot.”

Sandi winced as she stepped on a sharp rock.  “Which one?”

“Are you _looking_ at them?  All of them.”

As they watched, the two younger guys started tossing a Frisbee back and forth.  The taller one flipped his longish hair on each throw, and the shorter seemed to be working on his form.

“Think they’re all friends?”

“They all look so much alike, though… dark hair, the Frisbee guys have similar builds… maybe they’re brothers?”

“The older one, sitting, he looks too old though.”

“Maybe the younger guys are brothers?”

“And maybe he’s a friend of the older brother?”

“That’s still a little weird.  And he doesn’t look quite old enough to be their dad.  Maybe of the younger one, he only looks like he’s fourteen or so.”

The taller one looked over at them and waved.  Sandi and Lauren giggled, and waved back.  The guy then executed a fancy cartwheel over the sand, throwing the Frisbee back as he landed on his feet.  It sailed over the head of the younger guy, and the girls heard him mutter, “Showoff.”

“The short guy is cute, too.”

“Little young.”

“Still cute.  Really buff, too.”

“They all are.  I wish the tall guy would take off that tank top.  In my fantasy he’s not wearing it.  Well, or anything at all.”

Sandi chuckled.  “Be good.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”  Lauren squinted and looked back at the house.  “Wait, who’s that?”

“Who?”

“The balding, elderly guy.”

“Maybe he’s the dad?”

“But the oldest young guy is looking at him so strangely.  Reverently, almost.”

“You know, I bet there’s a lot going on with these guys that we don’t want to know.  There are weird vibes.”

“Yeah… they’re hot, but it looks like there’s something strange going on.  You see the jealous kind of glare the short one gave when the tall one waved at us?”

“Not brothers then.  At least, no brothers I want to know.”  They were past the house now, and Sandi turned around to watch where she was going.  Lauren was still facing the house with the cute but weird guys.  “Maybe we should avoid the house until they leave.”

“Yeah, probably.”

******************************************************************************

“Two scoops, mint chocolate chip with chocolate sprinkles, in a sugar cone.”  Tim was in a good mood.  He couldn’t remember the last time he had gone out for ice cream.  But, here they were, the four of them, in town for ice cream, eaten while they walked along the docks in the harbor.

It was surreal.  But thankfully not “alternate dimension” kind of surreal.

The ice cream-scooping guy gave Tim his cone, and Bruce stepped up to order what he wanted.  Since he didn’t care about Bruce’s ice cream preferences, Tim turned to Dick, who was working on his strawberry cone.

“Real strawberries, Tim.  Sign of a good place.”  Dick chewed and swallowed.  “But if there are real mint leaves in yours, I’d be concerned.”

“Frankly I’d be surprised if anything in here wasn’t a chemical product.”  Tim watched as the girl behind Bruce ordered Gummi Bears as a topping.  “Or byproduct.”

Bruce joined them, and Dick groaned at Bruce’s fruit smoothie.  “Bruce, it won’t kill you to eat something with sugar, dairy, and chocolate in it.”

Bruce actually smirked.  “I might as well stick with something safe.  I think I take enough risks.”

Understatement, much?

“Boys, be nice to each other.  Master Dick, if Bruce wants a healthy snack, it is his choice.  And Master Bruce, Dick is only concerned about your wellbeing.  A snack with no nutritional value is far from a sin for someone with as active a lifestyle as yours.”  Alfred had gotten a root beer float, saying something about nostalgia.

Dick had wandered over to look at one of the docked whale watch boats.  “Hey.  If I wanted to look like a tourist, I’d say we should go out on a whale watch while we’re here.”

Bruce came over to stand next to him.  Nonchalantly, he said, “We could just take the yacht.  Save a little money and public inquiry.”

Dick turned to him, and Tim made sure to get close enough to see their faces in the dark.  Dick looked at Bruce, incredulous.  “Bruce, did you just say you have a yacht?”

Bruce stared out over the water, and Tim just _knew_ he was trying not to laugh.  “It’s yours, too.  Once you learn how to drive it.”

Dick stared, mouth open.  Tim smirked.  Even Alfred looked amused.

Finally, Dick closed his mouth, swallowed, and said, “Any other surprises you’ve been keeping, Bruce?  Maybe a few more siblings, or a house in Tahiti, or Alaska, or that you wrote _Ghostbusters_?”

Tim liked that Bruce was amused.  It was a good look.  All Bruce said was, “Nothing major.  Just the full gym in the basement of the beach house.  I had uneven bars and a trapeze set up in there a couple of weeks ago.  After I was told to take some time off.  Not full height, but I hope the trapeze will suffice.”

Dick stared some more.  “Thanks?”

“It’s your house, too, Dick.  And yours, Tim.”  Bruce turned to Tim.  “You’re both my... family.  And Alfred.  Moreso than anyone else.  At least, you haven’t tried to kill me yet.”

If that was Bruce’s definition of family, he needed a hug.  And possibly some professional help.

“I think what Bruce means, is, enjoy your time here, boys.”  Alfred had a way with words.

The four started to stroll down the dock, finishing off melting deserts in the gradually-chilling air.  Days were warm but nights were still cool.

Lost in thought about the yacht- which was probably docked within two hundred feet of where they were standing- Tim walked into Dick, who had stopped to admire a schooner moored nearby.

“Timmy, you lead the Titans and fight crime nightly, and yet you can’t walk and eat ice cream at the same time?”  Dick smiled down at him.  Tim gave a slight smile back.

“Maybe I just felt like bumping into you.”  Against you.  Feel your body against mine…

“I can’t wait until we go out on the yacht.  People will be jealous that we have a big boat and they don’t.”

“People are kinda jealous of us anyway.  Well, sometimes.  Unless you just mean strangers.”

“Well, yeah.  Our… uh… ‘special’ friends are a bit jealous that we have Bruce’s resources, but none of them envies Bruce raising me.  As for you, I don’t know.  I think your team is a little spooked by you all on your own.”

Tim groaned.  “It’s the Bat-training.  And that I’m naturally shy and reserved.  And how would you know?”

“A little birdie- or plane- who is faster than a speeding bullet may or may not have mentioned something to me.”

“Kon!  Why was he talking to you?”

“We were both looking for you.  Our paths crossed, yadda yadda yadda, I chatted with your friend about you.  Happens.”

Oh, God… Kon was the only one who knew how Tim felt about Dick…

“He say anything?”

“No, he actually mimed it all out for me.  Hardest game of charades ever, since he wasn’t really sure of the rules…”

Tim punched Dick in the shoulder, careful not to make him drop his ice cream.  “You know what I mean.  Anything that you think I may not want you knowing?”

Dick looked scandalized.  “You have things you keep from your big brother?  For shame, Timmy.  Kon’s a friend, but we’re family.”

Oh, God, no.  Tim’s heart sank.  He couldn’t help that he wanted Dick in quite a different way than as a brother.  Feelings spawned when he was a little kid just didn’t die easily.

“If you say so.”

Further conversation was thankfully thwarted by the arrival of Bruce and Alfred.  “The day after tomorrow we can go out on the yacht.  I just want to get it inspected and make sure it’s seaworthy.”

“Cool.”  In general, Dick was attractive, but when he grinned… wow.   Tim turned away, unable to look.

Alfred came up behind him and rested a hand on his shoulder.  Softly, he said, “It will be alright, Master Tim.”  Turning to face him, Tim widened his eyes.  Alfred smiled.  “You’ll see.”

******************************************************************************

“Dick, I’m not using the uneven bars.  I’ve survived this long without perfecting their use.  I’ll be fine.”

“But Bruce, come on!  You’ll like it.  When have I ever steered you wrong?”

Bruce just glared, not bothering to articulate every time he had catered to Dick’s teenaged whims.

“Fine, fine.  Just sit there and play on the rings.”

“I will, thank you.”  For another few minutes, Bruce practiced his ring exercises, working different muscles in his arms and chest.  No one in the League said he couldn’t keep in shape.  

He watched as Dick practiced flips in the air using the new trapeze.  As usual, Dick looked so at ease flying.  Not for the first time, he wondered what would have happened to Dick if he had stayed with the circus.  But such rumination was pointless, since Bruce had taken Dick in, trained him to fight crime, and painfully let him go off on his own.

Bruce dropped off the rings and went to the bar he used for upside-down sit-ups.  It was also used for chin-ups.  As he strained against the bar and gravity, he wondered where Tim was.  He had gotten quiet after ice cream the night before, which from what Bruce thought he knew about young people and ice cream was unusual.

His thoughts were interrupted by Alfred, who arrived with a towel and a bottle of water.  “Master Bruce, you have a visitor.”

“Huh?” he replied intelligently.  “No one is supposed to know we’re here.”

“I do believe he is a member of this ‘League’ you’ve been leading.”

Well, that couldn’t be good.  Someone from the League dropping by could only mean trouble.  “Should I suit up?”

“I think, sir, that a shower is more in order, not that you should even have a suit here."  Alfred cocked an eyebrow.  "He said that there was no trouble, that he only wishes to say hello.”

A social visit from someone in the League?  That was almost more strange, unless it was…  Bruce rushed through a shower, and dressed quickly in shorts and a t-shirt that Alfred had packed for him.  Bruce hadn’t been quite sure of what to wear to the beach.

Opening the door to the main level of the house, he was greeted with an enthusiastic, “Bruce!”

And a kiss.

“Wally?”

“Of course, Bats.  Who else would risk the wrath of Bruce Wayne when he’s trying to relax?”

“Well, I’m sure I’ll be more relaxed now that you’re here…”  Bruce leaned down to kiss Wally.

“I’m glad you thought so, too.  I had to fight with J’onn to let me come here.  He didn’t understand.”

“You didn’t tell him…”  Bruce and Wally were not exactly ‘out’ as a couple.  Or at all.  Bruce wasn’t even sure if they were an actual couple.

“Of course not.  I told him that I had some news for Robin from Kid Flash, since Robin wasn’t allowed to tell anyone where he’d be, and it was important for Kid Flash that Robin got the message.”

“And J’onn believed that?”

“I doubt it, but it got me here.”

“Did you actually have a message planned?  In case J’onn wanted to know details?”

“I would have told him that it was private between the boys.”

“Well, I appreciate you being here, even if you had to sell out Kid Flash.”

“By the way, he and Superboy were wondering where Robin was, and from what I overheard they want to try to find him.  Something about rescuing him from you.”

Bruce frowned.  “Am I really that bad?”

Wally smiled, but didn’t say anything for a minute.  Bruce took the silence and used it to look Wally over.  He was in civilian clothes, thankfully.  The Flash just showing up at the Wayne house would not exactly have been covert.  And he looked good in clothing other than red.

“Bruce, you have anything to eat?  Drink?  Preferably sugar and caffeine laden?”

Bruce led Wally to the kitchen.  “I believe the boys have the same kind of between-meal preferences as you do…”  Rummaging through cabinets, Bruce pulled out a half-eaten bag of marshmallows, a bag of Hershey’s miniatures, and chocolate chip cookies.  Bruce pointed to the door next to the refrigerator.  “Pantry.  Cappuccino machine, and anything else you might desire.”

“Bruce, I… admire you greatly.”  Wally ducked into the pantry, and returned in a few minutes with two whip-creamed topped mugs.

Bruce took the mug, not planning on drinking much of whatever Wally had concocted.  He liked coffee black and strong, not watered down with sugar.

Sitting down at the kitchen island, Bruce asked, “So, how has the League been going these past few days?”

“Wonder Woman is pregnant with Superman’s baby, Booster Gold finally proposed to Blue Beetle, and Hawk Girl is getting her wings clipped so she can focus on becoming a stripper.”

Bruce might have even started to believe it, if Wally weren’t grinning.  “Oh, and there’s a rumor that the Flash misses his lover.”

“Ha ha.  Or are you…”

“Just kidding, Bruce.  Man, you’re easy.  I mean, I do miss you, but the only one who should even get an inkling of that is J’onn, since he’s the only one I’ve talked to.”

“Great?”

“So, how goes the vacation?”

“It’s been… interesting.  Tim has a Superman bathing suit, Dick’s been showing off to every girl who’s walked by, I haven’t gotten any reading done, Alfred’s been hinting that he wants to take Christmas card pictures, because apparently he’s more sadistic than I ever realized, and Tim has been a little moody.  But he’s in that angsty teen stage where they question their entire existence and purpose in life, so I’m not terribly worried.”

“How’d he even get permission to come?  Doesn’t he have a family?”

“Thankfully it’s summer, so he isn’t going to miss school, and he told his father he would be attending some sort of technology camp for two weeks, paid for by his school.  His father probably wouldn’t even notice he wasn’t home if he didn’t say anything.”

Tim chose that moment to wander into the kitchen, dressed in his Superman trunks, eating an apple, and reading a book.

“Technology camp, huh?”  Wally smiled in Tim’s direction.  Tim glanced up, nodded in acknowledgment, and returned to his book.

“Not that he needs it, he’s really been an asset to me.”

Tim turned from where he had been examining the contents of the fridge.  “I’m right here, and not deaf.  But thanks.”

Wally waited until Tim left the room.  “Yeah, he’s definitely in full Teenager Mode.  Almost makes me glad that Bart doesn’t live with me.  I can barely take care of myself, let alone provide the nurturing that teens need.”

“Teenagers need nurturing?  I thought they needed nourishment and privacy.”

“That, too.  But if what you’ve said is even partially true, Tim is sort of turning to you for the nurturing he isn’t getting at home.”

“That’s possibly the most frightening thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“Why?”

“I couldn’t provide what Dick needed, and I had the boy since he was nine.  I got Tim when he was an overachieving twelve-year-old.  He has a family.  He doesn’t need me.”

“If you say so, Bruce.”  Wally didn’t look like he believed him at all, which he didn’t.  “It can’t hurt to give it a try while you’re here and have nothing else to do.”

Wally ate cookies for another minute as Bruce just watched him.  Wally didn’t seem to mind the scrutiny, and Bruce was so glad that he was there he didn’t even care that he was staring at his friend.  He’d never really had anyone care enough about him to come visit without an ulterior motive.  Alfred didn’t count, and Selina only complicated things.  Clark’s visits often had something League-related.  Granted Wally probably figured he’d be getting lucky later that evening, and he was of course right about that.  It’s not like it had taken him long to get there.

Bruce heard a door slam and a moment later Dick sauntered into the kitchen, a towel around his waist and his hair damp.  He really needed to trim it; it was getting too shaggy for Bruce’s taste.  Too easy for criminals to grab it and slit Dick’s throat.

“Wally!  Hey, what are you doing here?”

Wally stood and gave Dick a hug.  “Just visiting.  I was in the area and thought I’d say hi.”

“In the area, huh?  I bet.”

“Well, when you can run around the circumference of the globe as fast as I can, everything is ‘in the area.’”

Dick joined them at the table, not bothering to put other clothes on.  He and Wally started talking about some new video game, and Bruce took that as his cue to leave the younger men to chat by themselves for a while.  They were friends first, after all.  Bruce didn’t want to be the fuzz.

He thought he’d go find Tim and try that nurturing thing.

******************************************************************************

Tim wasn’t exactly surprised when Bruce knocked tentatively at his door, since he had heard the footsteps walking slowly down the hall in his direction.  He was only a little upset, since he had planned to jerk off using the memory of Dick slathering him in sunscreen as inspiration.  Except instead of sunscreen, it was massage oil…

He was surprised, though, when Bruce sat down at the foot of his bed after he was called inside.  Propped against the headboard reading for the time being, Tim put down his book.

“Tim.”

“Bruce?”

“How are things.  With you?”

What the hell was going on?  Wally visits and the world stops spinning?  “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”  Bruce’s eyes were large, and while Tim was sure he was going for ‘concerned’ or ‘open,’ he just looked ‘scared.’

“Yes… What did Wally tell you?”

“Nothing.”

“Are _you_ okay?”

“Yes.  I’m just trying to provide a comfort you may be lacking.”

Now Bruce sounded like he was reading from a poorly-written script.  Tim almost wanted to check to see if Bruce had written notes on his hand.  “Bruce, I’m fine.  I’ve been fighting by your side for years, I have a family, a social life, and I like to think that I’m well-adjusted.”  His grip was surely slipping, but right now Tim felt that he was fine, lust for one of his mentors notwithstanding.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Well, if you need anything, just ask.”  Bruce gave him a small smile, and Tim nervously returned it.

Bruce stood, after reaching towards him with one hand but pulling back.  “Then I’ll just leave you alone.”

“All right.  But thank you.”

Bruce smiled again, and left the room much more quickly than he had entered it.

Bruce needed to get back to fighting crime quick.  A few days off and he was a totally different person.

Tim went back to his book, thoroughly confused, and no longer quite in the mood for his date with his hand.

******************************************************************************

Wally sighed, stretching his well-used body as he curled against Bruce.  Bruce was different tonight, a little more gentle.  Even now he was still rubbing his hands over Wally’s skin.  Granted, usually when they found themselves in bed they didn’t have a lot of time for afterglow recuperation, so this was different just because of that.

They had been as stealthy all evening as they could be, sitting across from each other at dinner, and not teaming up together during the game of Trivial Pursuit played by Bruce, Wally, Tim, and Dick after dinner.  Alfred had begged off, claiming that he was too old for the game or something, Wally hadn’t been paying much attention.  Bruce and Tim kicked Dick and Wally’s asses.

“This is nice, Bruce.”

“Mmm.”

“The gentle breeze, waves lapping at the shore,” Wally sped downstairs and returned, “cookies…”  Wally chewed as Bruce trailed his fingers over Wally’s skin, catching every hair.

“Thank you for coming.”

“You’re welcome.  I’ve had a good time.”  Wally didn’t make the obvious pun.

“Are you coming on the yacht tomorrow?”

“If we can find some time alone, you’re welcome to find out.”  He wasn’t a saint.

“Very amusing.  It’ll be fun.  Some sunbathing, some fishing, trying to not throw Dick overboard…”

“Wait, I can’t throw Dick overboard?  Damn.”

“Well, we’ll see.”  Bruce climbed on top of Wally, his tongue replacing his fingers, inching his way down Wally’s sweaty torso.

“Unh… Bruce… Are you ready for more?”

“No.  But by the time I am, you’ll be ready for thirds.”

“Best.  Vacation.  Ever.”

******************************************************************************

“Bruce.”

“Yes, Dick?”

“While I appreciate everything you’ve given me throughout the years, I think I love this ship the most.”

“I’m glad you approve.”

The Batfamily plus Wally were aboard the Wayne family yacht.  It was a gorgeous day, they had enough food to feed an army plus Wally, and Dick was surrounded by his family and one of his best friends.  Frankly, it couldn’t be better.

Dick made sure that Tim put on some sunscreen, getting his back for him, liking the slide of his hand over the sculpted back.  Tim scowled, but submitted.  Dick watched Bruce show Wally the controls of the yacht, and couldn’t imagine that Wally was paying any attention.  Dick wasn’t really sure how Bruce and Wally had become friends, but Dick didn’t mind.  If Wally made Bruce smile, then he was certainly good to have around.

“Dick.”

“Yeah, Bruce.”

“Fishing rods and accessories are over here…”

Accessories indeed.  Various rods, line, sinkers, lures, and bait were stuffed into some sort of closet.  Dick hadn’t ever really fished before, but it sounded like something low-key to enjoy while tanning.  Again he and Bruce wore sleeveless shirts, but he planned to take his off once they were clear of other boats.

Alfred, looking a little warm in his sweater but refusing to take it off, sat underneath the awning between decks, a drink with a little umbrella in his hand.

A few hours with no fish and no TV or music (Bruce refused to listen to anything that Dick had, and Bruce didn’t bring any of his own) and Dick was looking around to see who he could annoy.  In a friendly way, of course.  Bruce, confounding soul that he was, was involved in a game of shuffleboard with Wally.  Even _Alfred_ was looking at them strangely.

Tim was doing push-ups, the weird little freak.  Dick padded over to him.  “Timmy, even Bruce isn’t training.  Relax, enjoy yourself.”

“I _enjoy_ push-ups.”

Dick didn’t particularly mind watching Tim, since he was small but well-built, sun glistening off the sunscreen that Dick had reapplied about an hour before.  If Tim were only a year or two older, Dick might want to do more than rub sunscreen on him.  And if Tim weren’t the closest thing he had to a brother.

Dick wanted Tim to stop working so hard, so he sat on Tim’s back, and Tim collapsed onto the deck.

“Oof!  Dick, what are you doing?”

“Making your push-ups a little more interesting.  See if you can do them with me on your back.”

“You’re too heavy.”

“Are you calling me fat?”

“Maybe in the head.”

Tim had started to push up, and Dick pinched him at a certain point in his neck, and Tim’s right arm gave out.  “Be nice.”

Dick could almost hear Tim’s teeth gritting together as he repositioned his arm beneath himself.  Slowly, Tim made it to a full push-up position.  He lowered back down and did it again, a little faster.  A few more times, and then both of Tim’s arms gave out.

“That’s it, Dick, I think you broke me.”

“Maybe we should do this more often.  Build up a little more muscle tone.  Could prove important.”

“You can sit on me whenever you want.”

“I may take you up on that.”  Nothing wrong with flirting.

“Um… Dick?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you get off me before I can’t breathe anymore and die?”

“You suck the fun out of everything, Tim.  But, fine.”  Grinning, Dick got up off of Tim, who rolled over onto his back and stared up at him.  Dick offered him a hand, and Tim took it, the two of them working to get Tim on his feet.

Tim smiled back, but his smile faltered as he looked past Dick.  “What’s going on over there?”

“Where?”  Dick turned around, and caught site of two boats next to each other out in the water.  One looked empty, while the other was loaded with people.  Two men began carrying things from the packed boat onto the empty boat.  Some of the people on the packed boat were standing in awfully uncomfortable positions…  “Oh my God.”

“What?”

“I think they’re pirates!”

“Huh?  Like with gold hoops, parrots, beards, and lots of treasure?”

“Tim, you need to watch fewer movies.  But, yeah… looters.  Without any of the accessories you just described.”  Dick turned towards the stern of the yacht, where Bruce seemed to be demonstrating proper shuffleboarding form to Wally.  Geek.  “Hey, Bruce!”  Two heads jerked in his direction.  “Come here!”

Bruce hustled over, but Wally was at his side before he said “here.”  “What’s wrong?”

Dick pointed to the two small boats.  “Pirates.”

“What?”

Dick sighed.  They could handle aliens, mutants, and alternate dimensions, and _pirates_ were what everyone was getting hung up on.  “There.”  He pointed.  “Those guys have been taking stuff from the one boat and putting it on the other, and I think that couple has their hands tied behind their backs.”

Bruce squinted, and in a second Wally produced the small telescope that Dick had seen in the main cabin.  Looking through it, Bruce declared, “Those people are definitely trussed up.  We better go help them.”

“But you’re not supposed to…”

“I doubt the League meant don’t protect innocent people from thieves…”

“J’onn and Clark weren’t too clear about that… You can always call them…”

“Wally, I’m going to help those people.  If you don’t want to help then don’t.”

“No, I-”

“Good.  Can you swim really fast?”

“I- yes.”

“Fast enough to get this sorted out while I distract everyone with my charming wordplay?”

“I believe so.  You’re often plenty longwinded.”

Bruce shot Wally a look that Dick couldn’t interpret.  But then Bruce explained his plan, where he would distract the pirates in any way he could while Wally swam behind their boats, climbed into them, and incapacitated the pirates.

The pirates were either dumb or lazy, and all three of them stopped what they were doing to chat with, and then threaten, Bruce.  After a few minutes where Bruce told them he called the coastguard, and gave them a variety of other lies, Wally sped out of the water, untied the victims, and tied up the pirates.  He then jumped overboard again, and swam to the other side of the yacht, where Alfred helped him aboard.

Bruce then did actually call the coastguard, and they all waited for them to show up, chatting with the victims.  Nice people, though the woman kept staring at Dick, and he didn’t appreciate it.  Her husband didn’t seem to like it, either.

After the pirates were taken away, Bruce declared that the yachting adventure was just about over.  They ate dinner in town and got ice cream again afterwards, though Dick knew that that was a bad idea where Wally was concerned.  But Bruce seemed to like giving in to him.  Interesting. He knew he hadn’t been hearing things last night.

Back at the house, Bruce and Wally stayed up to star gaze, but Dick was beat and went to sleep.  He didn’t bother to tell Tim that he must have missed a spot on his back, since there was a pink patch above Tim’s trunks.  Oops.  He’d figure it out soon enough.

Dick stretched out in his bed, the room dark as the curtains fluttered in the breeze.  It had been a good day.  A good vacation, actually.  Once they got back to civilization, he was going to have to convince Bruce to come back more.  Or at least give him the keys.

******************************************************************************

“Master Bruce.  I don’t believe that this is what Master Dick had in mind when he suggested you work on puzzles as you sat on the beach.”

“But Alfred, this is a puzzle.”

“Sir, you’re working on the schematic drawings for your next Batmobile.  Complete with vectors and propulsion equations.  For shame.”

“But math is relaxing.  The equations and numbers flow together, with a conclusion at the end.”

“Sir, with all due respect, you are the only person who would ever describe mathematics as relaxing.  I believe Dick would prefer that you read something with more humor.”

“Dick isn’t paying any attention to me.”

“Not yet, no.  He and Master Tim seem to be finding their own amusement.”

Bruce looked up from his blueprints and watched as Dick tried to teach Tim how to walk on his hands in the sand.  Tim wasn’t anywhere near as gymnastically inclined as Dick was in the first place, and the sand only looked to be making things worse.

Wally had left that morning, having to get back to things in Central City, and pass on word to the League that Batman was indeed not working too hard.  Bruce did actually feel more relaxed.  He wasn’t sure if it was the result of being out of Gotham, or not donning the Batsuit for several days, or having Dick, Tim, and Alfred nearby, without the stressful vigilante factors that made them all tense around each other.  Having Wally spend the night was enjoyable in itself.  Maybe he could invite Wally to the Manor…

Whatever it was, he enjoyed watching Dick and Tim together.  Dick hadn’t grown up under ideal situations, and Tim didn’t seem to have, either.  But by sharing the name of Robin, they had grown into great people.  Tim still had a way to go, but he was vastly different from the boy that had accosted him several years ago.  More shadows in his eyes, fewer smiles, but a consciousness about the world that few people gained.  It was nearly impossible to still view Tim as a boy.

“Master Bruce, I believe I shall go find you more appropriate materials to amuse yourself.  Dick brought a Game Boy with him, I believe.  I know the League ordered you away, but I feared for you as well.  If you become too immersed in any one thing, you will not be able to fight your way out.”

“Thank you, Alfred.  I do appreciate your concern.”

Alfred retuned to the house, and Bruce returned to his drawings.  He was trying to figure out how much the Batmobile’s wind-resistance would change if he raised the hood two inches and shaped it differently.  Just because he was forced to take time off didn’t mean he could forget everything about his life’s activities.

He was drawn out of his equations and fantasizing about fuel economy by a groan from Tim.  He looked up, and Tim was facedown on the sand.  Above him, Dick laughed so hard he couldn’t stand up straight.

Bruce could hear strains of their conversation: “Stop laughing!”  “… fell so hard…”  “Dick!”

Tim rolled over onto his back, and Dick reached a hand down to help him up.  Using the leverage, Tim popped onto his feet.  Dick was still snickering.

And then Tim kissed Dick.

Dick stopped grinning.

Bruce let his papers fall into his lap.

What the hell was going on?

******************************************************************************

Tim could do back-flips.  He could scale buildings.  He could pick locks.  He could write a research paper in less than five hours, and more often than not was forced to.

He could not, however, walk on his hands on the sand.

He couldn’t really walk on his hands on a floor, either, but that wasn’t the current challenge.  Dick had tried to work with him, helping him up, hands guiding him as he tried to walk, but no matter what he did, he could not balance.

It was, frankly, embarrassing.

Dick ribbing him every three minutes didn’t help.  Dick grew up doing things like this, and honed other skills under Batman’s guidance.  Tim had grown up learning to cook for himself, and do dishes, and laundry.  He had to learn everything from Batman at once.  And he just didn’t have the balance, or manual dexterity, or whatever it was that he needed to do this.

Maybe it was the sand.  Or the wind.  Whatever it was, Tim was annoyed, and just gave up the next time he fell on his face.

“Dick, stop laughing!”

“You fell so hard!  I just don’t-”

“Dick!”  Tim rolled over onto his back and shot Dick his best glare.  However, Dick was laughing so hard he was doubled over.  Some mentor he was.  But eventually he reached down and helped Tim up, still snickering.

Tim’s brain short-circuited, and he shut Dick up the only way he knew how.

He kissed him.

It was short, simple, and the surprised look on Dick’s face when he pulled away made his stomach hurt.  Or maybe that was his heart.

******************************************************************************

Dick couldn’t believe that Tim couldn’t do this.  Dick had learned to walk on his hands practically before he learned to walk on his feet.  Tim hadn’t, but he was such a good learner in so many other areas.  

Like any fool who could do something that someone else couldn’t, he couldn’t stop ribbing Tim.  He did what he could to help, but as Tim got angrier he got more amusing.

Finally, Tim just fell face-first into the sand, and Dick just started giggling.

Tim, of course, was pissed.  “Stop laughing!”

“You fell so hard!  I just don’t-”

“Dick!”

Taking pity on his friend and sometimes-pupil, Dick reached out a hand after Tim rolled over onto his back.  As he helped him up, he still couldn’t quell his snickers.

And then Tim leaned up and kissed him.

Not sure of what to do or how to react, Dick just stared at Tim, sure he looked stupid.

What just happened?

******************************************************************************

Bruce continued to stare at Tim and Dick as they stared at each other.  He wasn’t sure what was going on, only that Dick looked confused and Tim looked terrified.  Not a good look on a Robin, he had to admit.

He didn’t even know Tim had a crush on Dick.  Wally had said that he needed to be there for Tim emotionally.  But what did he know about a teen boy’s feelings for an older friend?

He forced himself to quash the memories of his experience with Lex, the older student in boarding school who had brought Bruce out of his shell…

Tim and Dick could work this out for themselves.  And if not, they knew where to find him.  God forbid.  He needed to think- he should probably be angry or upset, but he really wasn't.  He was more confused.  He quickly gathered his notes and ducked back inside the house.  Maybe he could help Alfred look for some lighter reading material.

******************************************************************************

“Tim?”

“I’m sorry, Dick, I just, you’ve been touching me for too long, and you were funny and nice, but then you wouldn’t stop making fun of me, and I’ve been attracted to you for so long, and I wanted to shut you up, and I’m so sorry, just forget about-”  

“Tim.”  Tim stopped talking and looked at him.  “It’s okay.  I don’t.  I don’t mind.”

“What?”

“I said, I don’t mind.  That you kissed me.”

“But aren’t you going to tell me that I’m just a kid, and that I’m your little brother, and therefore this is some sort of sick underage incest?”

“For the person who made the move, you’ve thought about this a lot.”  Dick drew a deep breath.  “And, if I were someone else, I would definitely tell you that maybe you’re barking up the wrong tree.  But.  I haven’t really thought of you as a kid for a while.  We've fought side by side too many times, and you've proven yourself my equal.  I admire you so much..."

Dick rested a hand on Tim’s shoulder.  “I refer to you as my brother as an endearment.  People who call each other ‘honey’ don’t really believe that their partner is a byproduct of bee activity consumed by man.”  Tim smiled weakly.  “However, the most intriguing part of what you said was that you’ve been attracted to me for a while.  How long?  Any idea?”

Tim mumbled something into his own chest.

“What?”

“Four years.”

“But we barely even knew each other.”

Tim raised his head, and Dick was able to see into his eyes, the same shade of blue as his own.  But Dick hoped he never looked that scared.  “Dick.  Remember how I recognized you as Robin?”  Dick nodded.  “It was because I was following the life of Dick Grayson, the boy who could fly.  I remember when I first met you.  I remember when I first realized you were Robin.  I was so excited I couldn’t eat.  It was just sort of hero-worship, or something.”

Dick began to understand.  “And then you reached puberty…”

Another small smile.  “This might be sharing too much, but my first wet dream was of you.”  Dick raised a hand, a sign that Tim thankfully recognized as a signal to stop.  “Well, it was.  And then I went to you in person.  And once I became Robin, and you and Bruce were able to talk to each other again, I started working with you.  Seeing you half-dressed all the time.  And not only were you attractive, you were nice.  Funny.  We became friends.  Which I might have just totally fucked up, based on your expression.”

Dick had no idea what he looked like, but it must not have been an attractive look.  “It’s just… this is a lot to take in, Tim.  That you’ve been, well, obsessed with me for most of your life.  It’s… a lot to take in in five minutes.”

“Ten.”

“Whatever.”

“Look, Dick, I can understand if you don’t want to talk to me anymore, or train with me, or anything.  I know you like guys, but I understand if I’m still not someone you can be with.”

“Tim.  Let me.  Well.  Absorb all of this.  But, let me make sure you understand something.”

Tim looked like he might throw up.

“If I do decide that we should take this further- and that is what you want, right?”  Tim nodded miserably.  “If there is some sort of problem, it’s not on your end.  Let me just.  I’m going to go to the gym for a while, okay?”

Tim nodded again, and Dick turned to go into the house.  Before he got too far, he turned around again.  “Tim- don’t forget to put on more sunscreen!”  And he smiled.

And Tim smiled, too.  But he still looked miserable.

******************************************************************************

Bruce watched from his bedroom as Dick and Tim talked on the beach.  Tim didn’t look too happy, but Dick seemed to be trying his best.  Finally, Dick walked towards the house.  Tim turned to the ocean, and sat down on the sand.

Going downstairs, Bruce bumped into Alfred.  “The library is not upstairs, sir.”

“Alfred… could you go outside and see if Tim is all right?”

“Of course.  What seems to be the problem?”

“I’m not sure if I should say anything.  But just see if he needs anything.  You’re better at things like that than I am.”

“Right away.”

******************************************************************************

Alfred kicked off his shoes and walked across the deck, down the stairs, and over to where Tim sat on the sand.

“Timothy-”

“I’m all right, Alfred.”

“Are you quite sure?  Bruce does not request that I aid you in too many instances.  And I must say you do not look as if you are enjoying the beach.”

“I’m okay.  But thanks.  I just.  Sort of made a move on Dick, and I don’t know if he’s okay with it.”

“’Made a move’?”  Alfred sat down next to Tim, quite a production given his age.  He looked out across the water, waiting for Tim to speak.  Raising Bruce Wayne had taught him a lot about letting boys reveal thoughts at their own speed.

Eventually Tim sighed.  “I kissed him.  He was trying to teach me something, and he kept having to touch me, and he was in such a good mood and I’ve been attracted to him forever and I just snapped!”

“Unlike Master Bruce, I have been aware of your inclination for quite some time.  I’ve watched the way you stare at Dick, the way you admire him.  Even though you work directly with Bruce, you talk about Dick more.  He makes you smile.”

Anyone smiling in Wayne Manor was never forgotten.  Alfred didn’t want to see Tim looking so forlorn.  “Timothy, I told you at the beginning of this vacation that things would be okay.  And I promise you they will be.”

“Not to be rude, but how do you know?”  Tim turned his eyes to Alfred, begging him without words for hope.

“Because Master Dick smiles most when he’s talking about you.”

******************************************************************************

Bruce checked the bottom floor, and figured since he didn’t find Dick, he must be in the basement gym.  Walking down the stairs, Bruce caught sight of him running on the treadmill, already sweating because of the difficult setting.

Bruce climbed onto the one next to him and matched Dick’s pace.  “Dick.”

“Yeah, Bruce.”

“Anything you’d like to tell me?”

“That Tim has terrible timing.  Well, perhaps not timing.”  Dick wiped sweat from his brow.  “Well, timing.  But he also chose to do it in front of you!”

“Sometimes people can’t rationally decide when things should be done.  He’s a sixteen year old boy who had been touched and teased by his apparent object of affection for more than an hour.  This is a relaxed setting.  He’s had no contact with his friends.  It may not have been the wisest decision, but what’s done is done and you have to deal with it.  And why is it bad that I saw?”

“Because now I have talk to you about it… This probably would be a good time to tell you that I like guys, too.”

“Dick, you did live in the Manor in your teens.  Alfred and I both have ears and eyes.  Did you really think I didn’t notice that you and your friend Ryan had incredibly quiet study sessions in your room?  Or that after those study sessions you had small bruises on your neck?”

Dick turned to him.  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’m not your father.  I didn’t know what to say.  You seemed happy enough, and I trust that you were safe.”

“Oh, yeah.  I didn’t want the wrath of Alfred on my head.  Or yours, of course.”

Bruce smiled slightly.  He supposed it wasn’t too late to talk about these things.  But they had more pressing matters at hand.  “So what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know!  I call Tim my little brother because he sort of fits into that void in my life.  But I’m not going to dodge the truth: I find him attractive.  He’s a bit smaller than my usual tastes, but he’s smart and funny and knows _everything_ that’s important.  It’s hard to find someone like that, you know?” 

Of course Bruce knew.  That was the same description he had for Wally.  A lot of good things in an in-the-loop package.  “So are you going to share these feelings with him?”

“I don’t know.  He’s still a teenager, you know?  I don’t want to…  Well.  I don’t know.  I don’t want to feel that I’m robbing the cradle or something.”  Dick stepped off the treadmill, and signaled for Bruce to join him in the open space before the floor mats.  Without any explanation he started going through a simple tai chi combination, and Bruce mirrored the actions, knowing they’d get more complex.  He had taught Dick this method of focusing his thoughts.

“Dick.  When’s the last time you considered Tim a child?”

Dick’s thoughts jumped.  “The first time he beat me sparring, and I wasn’t holding back too much.  Then I knew I wasn’t training a kid, I was working with a partner.  Well, your partner.”

“That was quite some time ago.”

Dick stopped his forms momentarily.  “You’re right.”

“What do you consider Tim to be now?”

“A friend.  A pupil.  At times even a mentor.  A partner.  A brother.  Not a boy.  Not quite a man, but he’s not a boy, is he?”

“I haven’t thought so in some time.  He’s fought by my side.  By your side.  He risks his life on a regular basis, the same way you did at his age.  If I called you a child, you probably would have moved out even earlier.  Because you knew that you were no longer a child.  Tim cannot possibly see himself as a child.  In some ways he is your equal.  When it comes to obeying directions he is your better.”  Dick smiled briefly.  “Dick, you know I’m not good at advice, particularly advice of this sort.  All I can tell you is that you need to do what you think is right.  Or more ideally, what you _feel_ is right.  This is one of the few times that I’m ever going to tell you to follow your heart and not your brain.  Your heart, not your genitals.  Those are what Tim is probably using.  But he really went out on a line, possibly foolishly.  He was willing to risk having his heart broken, even if he didn’t consciously make the gesture.  Think about him.  His feelings.  I know you’ve been hurt by people, and I don’t mean physically.  But think about yourself, too.  If this will not be good for you, then don’t do it.  Logically the two of you probably should not become romantically involved, but sometimes the best things in life are illogical.”

“Bruce.  I’ve never heard you speak longer about anything, and I really appreciate everything you’ve said.  But.  What should I do?”

“I can’t really tell you.  But, if I were in your place, and my pupil-slash-friend-slash-brother-figure confessed his feelings, I’d like to think I’d give it a try.  The situation is not ideal, but I understand how difficult it is to find romantic partners due to our obligations.  I have no idea what your first time was like, or if anything with Tim would progress that far.  But I would want Tim to be comfortable and with someone he cared for, not a romp with someone convenient.”

Dick gave a pained half-smile, and Bruce took that as a cue to leave him alone to finish his forms and think some more.  And if Bruce knew whom Dick’s apparently less-than-ideal first time was with, he’d break his legs.

Climbing the stairs, Bruce thought about how odd this vacation had been thus far, and how next time he was going to take Wally on a private getaway.

******************************************************************************

Tim continued to sit on the beach and stare out over the water, the sun beginning to set and making everything pink and orange.  He wasn’t sure if he wanted to cry or throw up.  What if he had really screwed everything up?  He wished Kon were here.  Not that Kon would know what to do, but he would make him laugh.  Even Bart would be nice.  But it was just him, waiting for something.  He assumed it would be Dick walking towards him, to tell him that there was no way he was interested and that he should go chase after some pretty girl at school.

Tim tensed as he heard footsteps behind him.  Dick sat down next to him, his legs out in front and his hands clasped over his knees.  He didn’t say anything, and Tim just tried to remember what it was like to have Dick this close to him.

Finally, though, Tim couldn’t stand the quiet.  “Dick… I’m sorry.”

Dick turned to him, and Tim was drawn to his eyes, the low light from the fading sun making them glow a little.  “Don’t be.  I’d just like to know a few things.”

“Anything.”  And Tim meant it.

“How many people have you dated?”

“Um.  Two girls at school, one I really liked.  And Kon and I have fooled around.”

“Wait, what?  Back up there.  Two girls, okay.  But Kon?”

“It was one of those, well, after-a-tense-battle-and-you’re-all-wired things.  We didn’t do much more than make out, but it was still relaxing.  It was a long time ago.  And it was only a few times.”

“So you’ve never, ah, how should I put this…”

“I’ve never slept with anyone, if that’s what you’re asking.  I just.  Even with everything complicated in my life, I’m only sixteen.”  He hoped it wasn’t too stupid to be reminding Dick of that fact right now.

“Okay.  I can understand that.  And I’m relieved.”

“Why?”

“Well, first of all, I don’t want you losing your virginity before I lost mine.  I have a reputation to maintain.”

“How old were you?”  This was all news to Tim.

“All the way?  Seventeen.  And that’s all the detail you’re getting for right now.  Fooling around until completion, I was sixteen.”

“And what’s the second reason?”

Dick smiled wickedly, and somehow Tim knew it was going to be okay.  “This way, I can teach you how to do everything right.”

Oh, God.  Did that mean…  “So, what are you saying?”

“I think that if I didn’t try this, with you, one of my closest friends and confidants, who I admit I was attracted to but refused to let myself entertain the thought, that I’d hate myself.  Even if.  Even if this doesn’t work out for long, at least we’ll have tried it, and you can move on to other things and I’ll know for sure.”

Tim wasn’t sure if that was all good.  But then Dick continued.  “Tim.  I think we should go for it.”

Tim’s stomach flipped, and his heart just swelled.  “Okay.”  He hoped he wasn’t grinning too stupidly.  And then Dick turned to face him squarely, his legs folding in front of him, and his hand coming up to cup Tim’s jaw.

And he leaned in, and Tim reacted instinctively to mirror the action… And.  Wow.  Dick’s lips, pressing against his.  Hands reaching, rubbing hair on heads and muscle through shirts.  The tentative press of Dick’s tongue against his mouth, and the forceful press inside when he gave him the signal that it was okay.

Dick… really knew how to do this right.  Kon had been fun, and the girls were okay, but this.  Well, Tim couldn’t think of the words to describe this.  The way Dick’s thumb stroked behind his ear as Dick’s tongue stroked against his own pretty much ensured that Tim wouldn’t be thinking clearly for quite a while.

******************************************************************************

Alfred and Bruce watched from the dining room as Dick and Tim kissed.

“Alfred.  Do you think this is okay?  I mean, none of us may consider Tim a kid, but he is.  And Dick.  Well, Dick doesn’t have the best history with relationships.  After all the things I put this family through, I don’t want this to be what breaks it up.  It’s just so strange and complicated.”

“Master Bruce.  Timothy has fought to earn your respect, your trust, your admiration.  And he deserves them all.  He also deserves the chance to be with whom he desires.  The timing might not be ideal, but it may be just what both boys need.  And I am also thrilled beyond belief that you consider them family.  Dick, of course, but Tim is, too.”

Alfred turned to Bruce, who looked lost.  “I have one more bit of advice, sir.”  Bruce turned to him, an eyebrow raised.  “Do not discuss this relationship with them unless one of them brings it up.  Do not meddle.  Offer support if asked, but never condescension.”

“Am I really that bad, Alfred?  Wally also implied that I’m a bit of a jerk.”

“I do believe that “jerk” has never been applied to you.  Other terms, however, have.  Just… try to loosen up, sir.  Perhaps Master Wally could spend the night at the Manor once in a while.”

Bruce turned to him, his expression a mix of fear and shame.  “I meant to tell you, but then it never really came up…”

“It’s quite all right, sir.  Just so long as you are happy, and your League is not compromised.”

Bruce actually smiled.  “I am happy, Alfred, to an extent.  Wally, just, well, I can’t put it into words.”

“That is the best sort of relationship, sir.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m sure that no matter what is going on outside, there will be need for cookies and cocoa.”  Alfred turned away and headed towards the kitchen.

Perhaps, for once, all of those who he saw as family would be content at the same time.

******************************************************************************

Sandi and Lauren started on their weekly walk down the beach.  They figured if the weirdoes at the Wayne house were there for only a week, they’d be gone by now.  And if they were there for longer, hopefully they would all be inside as they walked past.

As they approached the Wayne house, Lauren spoke up.  “Well, I don’t see them.  They must be-”

“Wait!  Isn’t that the two younger ones, the hot one and the short one?”

Lauren squinted, and she could see two bodies lying next to each other on the sand in front of the deck, shadows disrupting the visual.  “What are they doing?”

As they walked further, the angle got better, and then they could see…

“Oh my God!  They’re kissing!”  The shorter one then climbed on top of the talker one, who ran his hands over his back.

“I guess we were right in thinking there was something strange going on at that house.  Let’s walk faster.”

“Definitely.”

But Lauren couldn’t help looking back as they passed.  They were kind of cute together.

******************************************************************************

Bruce sat on the railing of the widow’s walk that jutted out of the roof of the house.  It had never been a functional one, but his mother had liked the romance of it.  Bruce had never really understood it as a child, but now he appreciated the view it gave of the ocean, and the solitude.  Even if he wasn’t waiting for a lover to return home from the sea.

Not that he’d send Wally away if he happened by again.

He just had to get away from everyone else.  Even though the house was huge, it felt too small with Dick and Tim staring at each other and smiling and kissing periodically.  Having to keep things with Wally secret certainly didn’t help.  And Alfred giving him little glances every five seconds (well, maybe it was every 42 seconds, not that he was counting) only made him feel like a cornered animal.

So he decided to come up here and just enjoy the night by himself.  If he ever did drugs to help him relax, he might have entertained the thought of some now.  It was peaceful and he liked it.  Besides, he always did his best thinking on rooftops.

He heard a flutter behind him, right before a thud on the roof.  “Superman.  To what do I owe this visit?”

There was a whooshing noise and some wind, and then Clark Kent sat beside him on the railing.  “Just wanted to say hi.”

“You could have come to the front door like a normal person.  If people realize that the Wayne house had Superman as a visitor…”

“Don’t be paranoid, Bruce.  It’s dark out, and the middle of nowhere.”

“So are you here on your own, or did J’onn send you?”  Bruce couldn’t help but be suspicious.  Paranoid.  Whatever.

“There may have been a hint that I should go make sure that you’re following the rules.  But I don’t see the harem that Wally suggested we send out to you.”

Even though he knew it was part of their cover-up, it still stung that Wally would even suggest a thing.

“Well, as you can see, everything is fine.  You can even X-ray the house if you want.  No Batsuits, no villains, just Alfred, Dick, and Tim.”

“Thanks.  I didn’t want to be rude and do it without your permission.”  Clark turned behind him and stared down at the deck.

Bruce sighed.  Apparently no one trusted him.  He could relax when he wanted to.  It was just that his idea of relaxation and that of other people was different.

Clark suddenly jerked his head back.  “Whoa.”

Instantly alert, Bruce jumped up so he was crouched on the railing rather than sitting on it.  “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Clark started to blush.  While that was never a good sign, at least Bruce knew it was nothing serious, and he sat back down.

“Um.  I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but since it’s under your roof and everything… Dick and Tim are kissing.  Making out.”

Bruce groaned and rested his head in his hands.  “I know.  I mean, I didn’t know that that’s what they were doing right this second.  But I know that they’re together.”

“What?  When did this happen?”

“About four days ago.  Things, well, happened, and I gave Dick my blessing to see if it would work.”

“What?”

“Tim’s apparently had a crush on Dick for his whole life.  And Dick apparently found Tim attractive, but didn’t want to do anything about it.  And then, well, Tim kissed Dick by mistake, Dick had a little break down and actually asked for my advice, and I told him to go for it.  It’s safer for identities if they don’t have to lie about everything to someone on the outside.  And I hope there will be less drama than if they were both dating strange women or even other people in our line of work.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s okay.  I don’t know what to do.  I just want both of them to be happy.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you happy?”

“Enough.  I’m surrounded by my family, the members of which are happy, and I haven’t had to clean blood off of Kevlar for more than a week.  And I don’t smell like grit.”

Clark sniffed.  “You smell like sandalwood.”

“I took a shower before I came up here.  Wanted to relax before I went to bed.”

“Wally would happily help you, I bet.”

Bruce froze.  “What?” he asked carefully.

“Come on, Bruce, I have superhearing that sometimes kicks in on its own, and unless you normally groan for Wally in your sleep, I know that something is going on between you two.”

Apparently Bruce's stealth needed work; alleyways and rafters were easy to hide in, bedrooms apparently were not.  “Fine.  Yes, Wally and I have something going on.  I have no idea what, but it’s something.”

“Good.  You’ll be good for each other.  Balances and everything.  But, you’re really okay?”

“Yes, Clark.  Sitting still far away from my city is driving me crazy, but I’m not unhappy.”

A skeptical look from Clark.  “Alright then.  I should probably head back to Lois.  You know how it is.”

No, he didn’t.

“You don’t want to stay for a drink or anything?  I’m sure Alfred wouldn’t mind putting something together for you.”

“You know how much I hate it when you make Alfred wait on me.  And no, I’m fine.  It took me longer to find this place than I thought it would.”

“Yes, a large beach house with ‘Wayne’ stamped on the mailbox on this stretch of sand must have been torture to find.”

“Sarcasm doesn’t become you, Bruce.”  But Clark grinned.  Then he whirled again, and Superman floated before Bruce.  “If you need anything, give a yell.  Literally.  Oh, would it be okay for Superboy and Kid Flash to visit Robin?  They’ve apparently been wandering around aimlessly without him around.  And for Kon-El to ask me for anything means he really wants it.”

“Sure.  Provided they come as themselves, not their superhero aliases.  I really couldn’t explain that one away.  And it is Tim’s vacation, too.  Seeing his friends would be good for him.  And it might get him off of Dick for a few minutes.”

“Right.  Well, see you.”

“Good night.”

Bruce held up his hand in a wave as Superman shot up into the sky.  Watching his friends come and go so quickly almost made him want his own superpowers.  He’d save a lot of money on gas.

******************************************************************************

One minute, Tim was contentedly lying on the beach reading.  The next, he was in the ocean up to his chest and was soaking wet and cold.  He had time to sputter, “The hell?” before he heard two male voices laughing.  He recognized that laughter… “Kon?  Bart?”

“Con _ner_.  And Bart.”  Kon and Bart stood on the sand, wearing normal clothes, practically leaning on each other they were laughing so hard.  “Tim!  You should see your face!”

Tim scowled.  “Very funny, guys.  What are you doing here?”  Tim waded his way to shore.  “And how did no one see you throw me into the water?”

“Dude, there’s no one on this stretch of beach.  I was high enough just scoping it out to see far on each side.  No one.  And together Bart and I chucked you into the water.  It was fun.  You look good wet.”

“While I’m flattered you guys came all the way out here, you should probably leave.  If Bruce catches you he’s going to be pissed.”

“No.”  Bart shook his head.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“Bruce gave us the okay, man.  Superman asked for us.”

Tim must have water in his ears.  “Did you say Bruce was okay with you stopping by?”

“Yeah.  Maybe he’s trying to lighten up?”

Maybe there was some form of BatKryptonite…

“Perhaps.  Well, now that you’re here, what do you want to do?”

Bart disappeared for a second, and returned with towels.  Tim realized that he and Kon were actually wearing swim trunks.  “Sunbathe.  We want a vacation, too.”

Tim rolled his eyes.  “Fine.  Pick a patch of beach, and we can just hang out here.”

Seconds later Bart was stretched out on his towel, topless and coated in a thin layer of sunscreen.  Kon moved more slowly, practically performing a striptease that was apparently for Tim’s benefit.  Wow, they needed to talk…

“Come on, Tim.  Just enjoy it.  You have to come back in a few days.”  Kon stretched out next to Bart.

Bart flipped over onto his stomach, and Tim wanted to place bets on how long Bart could actually lay still before he was up and bugging Kon and him for entertainment.  Tim realized too late that Bart was going to pick up the book he had been reading.

Bart twisted the book around so he could look at the cover.  “Wow, Tim, this is a really pretty girl.  The guy kinda looks like Dick…”

“What are you talking about?”  Great, just what Tim needed.  Kon raised himself up to look at the cover as well.

“Hey, is that a dragon?  What the heck are you reading?”

“It’s a novel about the couple on the cover.  In a fantasy world, which is why the dragon is there.”  Tim knew that he was about as red as Wally’s costume.

“Dude, you read romance books?  Isn’t that a chick thing?”  Kon gave him a look that Tim couldn’t quite describe, but fit somewhere between disgust and deep amusement.

Tim sat back down on his towel, his skin almost dry from the sun.  His shorts and shirt were still wet, though.  “No, it’s not just a chick thing.  They’re relaxing.  It’s not like I read them all the time, just when I want to have mindless entertainment.  I don’t have to think when I read them.  Besides, Dick likes them, too.  He actually lent me that one.”

“Wait.  _Nightwing_ reads romance books?”  This time Kon’s look was skeptical.

“Once in a while.”  Maybe Dick didn’t want this getting out.  Oh, well.

“I always thought Dick was gay.  Why does he read stuff with girls in it?”  Bart definitely looked confused.  Tim felt better; maybe he wasn’t totally off his game.

“He’s not gay, he’s bi.  Big difference.”  Why was he talking about this with them?  “Do you want to play Frisbee?”

“Sure.”  Bart was up and looking around for a Frisbee before Tim could think about standing.  He found it over by the deck and waited as Kon and Tim stood.

Kon caught Bart’s throw and flipped it over to Tim.  “You having a good time here?”

Tim caught the Frisbee and threw it to Bart, but it sailed over Bart’s head.  Luckily Bart saw that people were walking by so he didn’t speed to catch it.  “Yeah, it’s been okay.  It’s great hanging out with Dick, and Bruce hasn’t been too bad.  He works out a lot and reads.  And Alfred still waits on us even though Bruce told him not to.”

“Where are they all now?”  Kon stretched to catch Bart’s toss.

“Alfred went into town to shop.  Dick and Bruce went fishing on Bruce’s yacht, some sort of pseudo father-son thing.”  Tim shrugged, then threw the Frisbee to Bart.  “So we’re all by ourselves.”

“Cool.”  Kon seemed to be getting bored with Frisbee, since he started using his TTK to catch and throw it in different positions.  It was quite interesting to watch.  “You have anything to drink?”

Tim shrugged.  “Probably not.  I mean, this is only the house of a millionaire.  I have to scrounge everything up by myself.”

Kon whipped the Frisbee at him too hard and Tim ducked from it.  Giving up on the game and trying to figure out what he could give Bart that wouldn’t make him too wired, Tim led his friends inside the house.  

It was going to be an interesting day.

******************************************************************************

“Dick.  I know we’ve never had the greatest relationship…”  Bruce really had wanted to just fish, but the moment just seemed to lend itself to interpersonal communication.  He could always use the practice.

Dick groaned.  “Bruce… I know.  I walked out, you got mad, or maybe it was the other way around, and a lot of stuff was said and egos bruised.  But, whatever.  I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere any time soon.  So if you don’t mind I’d rather skip whatever conversation you want to have.”

Bruce sighed.  “I apologize.  I just.  I don’t know.  I want us to be okay.”

Dick turned to face him fully.  “We _are_ okay.  We were both wrong, or maybe we were both right, and now there are so many more people in our lives, between Batgirl and Tim and the League and the Outsiders and everyone else.  It’s not just us any more, Bruce.  And that was great while it lasted, until things got screwed up, but we’re not alone any more.”

Dick smiled at him, and Bruce tried to smile back.  It didn’t quite work.  Bruce worked himself into a mood every now and then, and everyone else knew it.  They fixed it by avoiding him.  He fixed it by… well, if meditation didn’t work, then he just stuck it out.  “How are things with Tim?”  He didn’t really want to know, but he knew he had to ask.

Dick tilted his head to the side.  “It’s good.  It’s weird, but it’s good.”

“Weird?”  There was a tug at Bruce’s line, but not a full bite.

“I liked him, and I love him like a brother, which is just really weird to say but that’s how I feel, and now that I have him, and he’s so happy, it’s just great.  But I still feel strange about it all.”

“Well.  You know I’m not the best at relationships.  But if you’re happy, and you enjoy his company, then it’s okay.”  Bruce sighed again.  “You’re first time wasn’t too great, was it.”  They had never talked about Dick’s sex life.  Bruce just hadn’t wanted to go there.  But now... Bruce was a little curious, and they were both adults.

“Bruce.  There is almost no way you could get me to talk about that.  Other than to say both times, girl and guy, it left a lot to be desired.  The girl was better.”

“I had always hoped that you would be successful in relationships.  But since you have only me as a guide, I’m really not surprised.”  That, at least, got a genuine smile.  “You don’t want Tim to go through that, right?”

“Huh?”

“Tim.  A bad first time.  It’s supposed to be something special, or so the media would have us believe.  If your relationship progresses that far, I hope that Tim gets what he deserves.”  Bruce felt so awkward and out of place.  But he really prefered his boys together than with strangers.  Even if the whole situation was peculiar.

“Jeez, Bruce, not to put any pressure on me or anything.”

“He likes you, Dick.  A lot.  It’s not going to take much to make him feel special.”

“Thanks.  I think.  What about you?”

“I don’t like Tim in that way.  He’s a protégé.”

“You disturb me sometimes.  I meant, what about your first time?”

Bruce tried not to start.  And he wasn’t sure what he should say.  His first time with a woman was so-so.  His first time with a guy… It had been before Bruce had the ability to memorize events second by second, but what he did remember still made him nostalgic and a little horny.

“With a female, it was all right.  Nice.  She had only limited experience, so neither of us really knew what we were doing.”  Bruce took a deep breath and looked at Dick’s forehead.  “But my first time with a guy was, well, amazing.  He was really experienced, and he was… resourceful.”

Dick looked like he had stopped breathing.  He finally squeaked out, “Guy?”

“Yes.”

“When?  Who?”

“When I was in high school.  As for the who, I’d rather not say.  We tried a relationship, it didn’t work, and it was painful.  I’d rather you not hear about it.”  He knew that would drive Dick crazy.  He had to have fun sometimes, even if it meant playing with Dick.

“Wow.  I had no idea.  Most of the time I’ve known you you’ve just dated girls.  Reeeeeeeally superficially.  Hardly any of them even spent the night.  Except for that whole thing with Selina.  And you never brought guys home.”

Bruce had had to be clever; he didn’t want to make Dick ashamed of him.  “I was just careful.  And why do you think I encouraged all those sleepovers with your friends?  They either got you out of the house or kept you occupied.”  Dick smiled again, and Bruce smirked.  Dick thought he was so smart, but there were still secrets Bruce kept.  He liked it that way.

“So, I guess with Tim I should just do my best to make him feel good?  I can’t imagine wanting to make him hurt.  I really do like him, Bruce, don’t think otherwise.  He knows everything important and he’s smart and funny and attractive, if a little spooky.  I just need to get used to the changes.  He’s a pretty good kisser, though.”

Bruce reached out a hand as Dick smirked, clapping it on his shoulder.  “Dick.  I’d appreciate it if you kept details all to yourself.  Really.”

“Okay.  So long as when Wally visits, you keep it down.  I don’t need to visualize that, either.”

“What?”

“You.  Wally.  An item.  You’re good, Bruce, but you’re not that good.  You get all goofy when he’s around.”

Bruce wasn’t sure what to take issue with first.  “You just said you had no idea that I have relations with males.”

Dick shrugged.  “Just wanted to see if you’d share.  And I didn’t know how long you’ve been playing for both teams, if it was just a recent development.  Wally sounded like he was having a really fun time when he was here last week.”

So much for stealth.  Maybe Wally would agree to a gag... “And I am never goofy.  I can’t even believe you would say that.”

“Well, maybe not goofy.  But you act differently.  In a good way.  It wasn’t meant as an insult.”

Uh huh.  “And I am too that good.”  Bruce tried for defiant.  “But you’re good, too.”  He loved making Dick blush.  Maybe he didn’t compliment him enough.

For a few minutes there was an awkward silence, until Bruce couldn’t stand it any more.  “So, how ‘bout those Knights?”

******************************************************************************

Tim finally found a way to entertain his friends that didn’t involve ragging on either himself or Dick.  Currently Bart was snorkeling, the bottom of the ocean entertaining enough for him.  Every now and then he’d pop up with a crab or something to show them.  And Kon had discovered that every now and then girls in bikinis would walk by, so he had fun posing for them while trying to not look like he was posing.

Kon, Tim knew, was a piece of work.

“Kon, can I talk to you?”  Tim was back on his towel, just sitting there watching his friends.  It was nice to have them there.

Kon bounded over to him.  “What’s up?  There’s a cute blonde a quarter mile away…”

Maybe this wouldn’t go so badly.  “You remember how we used to have those make-out sessions?”

Kon dropped onto the edge of Tim’s towel.  “Yeah.  I wasn’t the one who wanted to stop.  You wanna go right now?”

“No!  I just thought I should tell you that, well, Dick.  He and I are together.”

“Huh?  You finally wear him down and he gave in?”

“No.  I kissed him and after he had a little freak-out he told me he liked me back.”

“Wow.  That’s great, I know how much you liked him, even when you settled for me.”  Kon didn’t look quite ecstatic, but he didn’t look too hurt, either.

“I didn’t settle for you.  What we had was… complicated.”  Tim fiddled with the sand.  “But I wanted to let you know that we can’t fool around any more.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.  Did you know Bart vibrates when he’s about to come?”  Tim snapped his head up, and was greeted with a smirk from Kon.  “You and I haven’t touched each other in months.  Bart is always there, and yeah, he drives me crazy sometimes, but he’s fun to fool around with.”

“Wow.  Great.”

“Don’t think we’re, like, going steady or anything, dude.  Just helping each other out.  I still like girls.  They’re so soft…”  Kon glanced back out at the ocean, where Bart was floating on his back.  “So, good luck with Dick.  But if things don’t work out, you know where to find us.”  Kon stood and turned his back to Tim.  Before he started walking towards Bart, he turned back to Tim.  “You should really put on some sunscreen, dude.  You’re gonna burn.”

Tim sighed as Kon headed away from him.  What was everyone’s fascination with his skin?  At least Kon was okay with Dick.  Things looked like they were working out.

******************************************************************************

Alfred strolled among the wares piled high in the tackiest gift shop in town, marveling over the ways in which beach paraphrenalia were used to make souvenirs.  Shells, rocks, animal skeletons... give them googlie eyes and they became merchandise.

After picking out a few selections, he happily placed them on the counter next to the register.  Smiling, he thought about how everyone who visits the beach should have a wooden lobster as a memento.

But not everyone could have it monogrammed 'Bruce.'

******************************************************************************

“Tim?  Alfred?”  Dick yelled through the house, ignoring Bruce’s pointed glance at the intercom system.  Dick heard a yell from outside, and he would have rushed to see what was going on but then Bart appeared before him.

“Hey, Dick.”  Bart’s hair and bathing suit were wet, and he had a snorkel mask around his neck.

“Hey.  Bart.”  Then Bart was gone, and Dick headed to the back deck, sure he would see Tim and probably Kon doing something on the beach.  He walked faster.

Kon was swimming with Bart, well, more trying to dunk Bart as Bart tried to avoid him.  Tim was sitting on his bright red towel.  Dick wasn’t sure if the red patch between his shoulder blades was from the sun reflecting off the red towel, or sunburn.  Not wanting to take a chance, and because he liked touching Tim, he grabbed the sunscreen that sat on the table beyond the back door.  Dumping some onto his hand he walked across the beach and clapped Tim on the shoulder, then smeared it around.

Tim yelped and twisted away from him before he saw who it was.  “Dick!  You’re back.”

“Yep.  With fish, too.  Bruce caught them.  I couldn’t get them to even nibble.”  Tim settled back where he was, and this time didn’t jump as Dick continued to rub sunscreen on him.  “What have you been up to?”

“As you can see, Kon and Bart dropped by.  Quite literally, almost.  And we’ve just been hanging out.”

“You look more like you’re watching them.”  Tim shrugged.  “Tim, don’t get all broody on me.  We all get enough of that with Bruce.”

“I’m having fun watching them.  Even though.”  Tim looked back at him, and Dick tried to look encouraging.  “They’re together.  Sort of.  The way Kon and I used to be, only further along.”

Great.  Was Tim regretting what he and Dick now shared?  Was he jealous?  Feeling left out?  Dick was so glad he wasn’t sixteen anymore.  He may not always know what he wanted, but at least he wasn’t all screwed up.

He didn’t think, anyway.

“And this upsets you?”

“Only because now they’re all touchy-feely and stuff.  Well, relatively.  I’ll get used to it.  Besides,” Tim turned fully and smirked.  “I have you.”  He grabbed the hand that wasn’t coated in sunscreen and threaded their fingers together.

They just sat and watched as Kon and Bart splashed in the ocean, until the sun started to go down and the latter two joined them on the beach.  They all sat and talked until Alfred’s call that dinner was ready, Bart fidgeting while Kon and Tim tried to make a sandcastle.  Kon scratched at himself periodically, complaining that he had sand _everywhere_.

Dick was glad that Tim had good friends, even if they were a little strange.

******************************************************************************

“It’s a kite.”  Bruce wasn’t sure he liked the way Tim was staring at him.  The boy could make his own batarangs and yet didn’t seem to understand a kite.  Tim held the string in one hand, the wind winding the tail around his other arm.

“I know that.  I’ve heard of them before.  There just isn’t much of a chance to use them in Gotham.”  Tim dangled the string, the bat-shaped kite catching the wind for a second.

“We’re leaving tomorrow, and I thought it might be nice to just spend some time on the beach doing a touristy beach thing.”  Bruce watched as Tim’s expression grew skeptical.  Bruce sighed.  He really was awful at dealing with people.  “If you’d rather train more, go right ahead.”  Bruce knew that Dick had been working Tim hard the last two days, wanting him to be ready with some new moves that used grapple lines and a flagpole.

“Kite.  If I fall one more time, my cape isn’t going to fit over the cast on my collarbone.  I think I pulled a hamstring, too.  Dick just really doesn’t understand that some of us aren’t as flexible as he is.”

Bruce smiled.  “Dick doesn’t always think of other people when he’s excited about something.  He just wanted to share some things with you.”

Tim smiled.  That was a lot better.  “Yeah.  Where is he?  He disappeared when I told him I was tired of training.”

“Alfred mentioned something about him showering.  He should be out soon.  Here.”  Bruce took the kite between his fingers, and Tim let out some string.  In a few minutes the kite was sailing high over the beach, and Bruce was pleased.

A kite was so simple, and yet it was hard not to smile when flying one.

Even Tim, a teenager in an age when everything required batteries or an Internet connection, looked like he was enjoying it.  Bruce knew he wasn’t father material, but at moments like these he could pretend he was.  Even if Tim thought he was insane.

“What’s that, the poor man’s Batsignal?”  Bruce turned at Dick’s words.  Dick came up to them, his hair damp, and stood looking up at the kite.

“I looked for a robin but they didn’t have one.”

“A Robin signal would be pretty cool.”  Tim grinned, and Bruce wanted to do whatever he could to make him do it all the time.  With the Bat in submission for two weeks, he was able to allow himself moments of pure speculation about his family.

Tim unwound more string, and the kite moved forwards before it climbed higher.  Dick came to stand next to Bruce.  “You have another one?”

“I thought it might be nice to share.  You can always drive in to town and buy another one.  Three out of every four shops sell kites.”

“Nah.  I’d rather stay here.  Watch Tim.  Hang out with you.”

When was the last time anyone wanted to hang out with him without an ulterior motive?  “Really?”

“I know the last two weeks were tough on you.  You haven’t been around your toys, or your frie- coworkers, and you’re totally out of your element trying to have what resembles a family vacation.  But it was _good_ for you, Bruce.  You’re sort of smiling.  Look, Tim’s smiling, too.  He never smiles unless it’s one of those creepy ones.”

“You probably have more to do with that.”

“Yeah, but Tim was comfortable enough to finally come out to me, and me to him.  We’ve all been able to relax and have a good time.  You’ve lightened up.  I know you have your reasons for being who you are, believe me, I know better than anyone else, and it probably won’t last, but we’re all enjoying it while we have it.  While we have you, Bruce, not the Bat.”

Bruce didn’t know what to say.  It had been nice, not having to go out and fight for his life, but he would never be able to fully live without that.  It was who he was.  Everyone else knew it, even while they tried to steer him elsewhere.  The utter light that was Wally West had kept him remotely sane the last few months.

“This isn’t who I am.  You know that.  I need to get back to Gotham.  It’s where I belong.”

“I know.  We all do.  I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long.  I suppose having Wally and Clark stop by helped.”

“Wally, anyway.”  Bruce smiled and leered, just because he knew it made Dick uneasy.

As expected, Dick’s eyes widened.  Then he drew himself up to his full height, stalked in front of Bruce, and tapped his chest with his finger.  “Who are you and did you do to Bruce Wayne?”

Without replying, Bruce simultaneously grabbed Dick’s forearm with one hand and swept his legs out with a foot.  Flipping Dick onto his stomach on the sand, Bruce pushed Dick’s arm up behind his back, careful not to hurt him.  “It’s me, Dick.  You’ll know if it isn’t.  You better than anyone.”

“What’s going on over there?”  Tim looked over his shoulder, his expression unreadable.  Bruce loved that.

“Just demonstrating something to Dick.”  Dick glared up at him, but then smiled.

“You people are odd.”  Tim turned back to the kite, letting out more string.  The thing was practically just a black speck now.  Dick sprang up and started to wrestle the kite away from Tim, sheer force of will keeping the kite spool in one of their hands at all times.

Bruce watched in admiration.  Tim and Dick had been through so much, separately and together.  He was glad that nothing had pulled his family apart, again.  He turned as he heard Alfred approach.

“Everything quite well, sir?”

“Never better, Alfred.  They’re happy, I’m… content, and tomorrow we’re going back to Gotham so I can get back to my life.”

“Master Bruce, if I may,” Alfred gestured to Dick and Tim, “ _they_ are your life, and anyone else whom you choose to let into it.  The rest of your activities are just how you spend your time.”

“I suppose so.  Without Dick, and then Tim, coming into my life… I try not to think about it.”

“We all do.  No sense in wondering about what might have been.  What you have is a family, whether you like it or not.”

“And I appreciate it.  Them, and you.  Without you, I’d have nothing solid to hold on to.”

They stood in silence, and Bruce averted his eyes as Dick kissed Tim lightly.  So, maybe it was a tad bit incestuous, but they weren’t actually brothers.  Everyone needs someone close at some point.

Bruce’s thoughts meandered to what he wanted to do that night, and he remembered the extra bag of marshmallows that Dick and Tim hadn’t found.  A bonfire on the beach would be a great cap to the vacation.  As he turned to go inside to make preparations, Bruce thought about calling Wally and inviting him.

His parents were what made him do what he did in the first place, but now his family kept him properly focused.


End file.
